The BCCI has reportedly rejected Gautam Gambhir's proposal to have Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach for the Indian cricket team. Instead, they are considering several prominent names to join Gambhir's support staff in his new role as head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. Gambhir has taken over from Rahul Dravid, who led India to the finals of the ICC World Test Championship, the ODI World Cup 2023, and the T20 World Cup 2024, ending his tenure with a victory in the T20 World Cup in Barbados.
The BCCI is supporting Gambhir as he transitions into his new position by allowing him to bring in his own support staff. This decision means the end of the road for batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip. While the BCCI has agreed to Gambhir's request to appoint Abhishek Nayar as the assistant coach, they have declined his proposal to have Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach.
According to ANI, Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji are being considered for the bowling coach role by the BCCI. Sources have revealed that the board is not interested in appointing Vinay Kumar for the position.
Both Gambhir and Zaheer played key roles in India's 2011 ODI World Cup victory. Zaheer was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 21 wickets, while Gambhir was the top-scorer for India in the final, helping them secure the ODI World Cup after a gap of 28 years.